FAQ

We hope we have covered any questions you may have regarding chilled packaging for food in the list below, if not please give David or Cathy in our customer services team a call or email to solutions@sorbafreeze. We will get back to you immediately.

Selecting the right packaging for the shipment of food requiring temperature control is a critical element in delivering fresh produce to your customers time and time again. We can help to create a ‘bespoke service’ supporting you with your choice of packaging to ensure temperature safe results every time.

Both our Sorbatek and Hydratek ice packs should be kept in the freezer until you are ready to pack and seal your produce for dispatch. The room temperature whilst packing will affect the performance level of the gel ice pack. The initial start temperature within the packed unit will impact duration of temperature maintenance. Sorbatek offer up to 48 hours temperature maintenance within insulated packaging such as our Chilltek Range. The ratio of ice to product can be adjusted to match temperature and duration required.

To maximise effectiveness, Sorbafreeze recommends;

Keep products and all packaging in the freezer until you are ready to pack and seal your products for dispatch.

When packing leave no spaces, fill all voids with paper, bubble wrap or preferably product! Any gaps will allow free air to circulate which allows the temperature within the insulated unit to increase more rapidly. The right box size makes all the difference, bespoke sizes available, please contact us.

Ensure a lid of ice packs (Sorbatek/Hydratek) cover the top of your goods, chill sinks downwards. Should the volume of goods demand it add layers of ice packs between and below your goods.

Completely seal the box when packed to minimise the impact of the external environment on the contents of the insulated unit. Branded tapes are available, please contact us.

The BRC Global Standards are widely used by suppliers and global retailers. They facilitate standardization of quality, safety, operational criteria and manufacturers’ fulfilment of legal obligations. They also help provide protection to the consumer

Sorbatek is one of the most convenient and easy to use chilled packaging solutions on the market today.

Simply soak Sorbatek for ten minutes to hydrate the cells then place in the freezer. Stack them fabric to foil so as to prevent the cells from sticking together.

There are various ways in which Sorbatek can be used to control the temperature within your package. The optimum solution used will depend on the size and weight of the products being shipped, the temperature required and the potential duration.

Yes. You can refreeze Sorbatek on multiple occasions. Just ensure there is no contamination from previous use.

No. A unique polymer is formed when the cells are hydrated which will remain in the gel format, even when defrosted. There will be no melt water and your product will remain in the pristine condition you sent it.

Development over a period of 25 years has perfected a unique gel formula and cell format to outperform our competitors. Customer testimonials are available.

One box of unhydrated Sorbatek equates to a full pallet of hydrated ice packs. One single pallet of Sorbatek is the equivalent of 24 hydrated ice pack pallets! Far more environmentally (and financially) beneficial!

Save time! Hydratek arrives pre-soaked and freezer ready, no need for soaking or hydrating. You can speed up the process further by opting for pallet quantities packed in freezer ready trays – no unpacking is required, the trays are specifically designed with vents to allow the chill of the freezer directly into the packs, which helps to cut down on your freezing costs!

The robust outer material of our Hydratek ice packs completely seals the salt based gel into the cell, promoting multi trip use which means the cells can be refrozen continuously.

The gel is created from FDA & EU food safe natural salt based polymer which has no negative environmental issues- perfectly safe to touch and dispose of even in a domestic environment. (If ingested seek medical advice only due to the moisture absorption nature of the polymer).

In general, you need to have a top layer of ice packs within your insulated package above your products, the specific ratio of ice to product is dependent on multiple factors such as;

What size/volume of box is being used?

Which product (density) will be packed?

What temperature will the goods be packed at, need to remain below and for what duration?

Which insulated packing will be used to transport the goods?

What external temperatures, environmental factors will the goods be travelling through and to?

We are happy to discuss and recommend solutions to cover all of the above, please get in touch.

We can also offer an external validation service, your specific products packed, tested and certified by an independent body to give fully confidence to both you and your clients of temperature safe deliveries.

Sorbafreeze’s foam insulated envelope exteriors are made of LDPE materials and can be recycled through your normal household recycled collections.

Our Chilltek range of insulated tiles are manufactured from high density EPS ensuring maximum insulation for up to 48 hours and are fully recyclable at many local recycling centres.

The classic Chilltek polybox (EPS) can be recycled at many recycling centres throughout the UK. However, due to the rigid and durable structure, we would encourage you to re-use the polystyrene systems multiple times.

Unfortunately, despite being made of totally of recyclable materials, our Sorbatek range is not yet fully recyclable at recycling centres in the UK. Many are not yet fully equipped to separate the component materials for recycling. However, due to the very low weight ratio compared to other systems, the effective disposal costs are minimal.

We encourage all our customers to re-use Sorbafreeze products, where possible. Not only will this help save the environment, it can help your business and your customer’s businesses to save costs thus creating valuable customer relationships all round. We like to think by doing this we are all helping make the world a happier place!

Get our latest offers and product releases first. Sign up to our newsletter